I'm going to start off with a southern salute as my first post so there's no confusion as to where i'm from
On a serious note, i'm undertaking the lawn maintenance & upkeep on our recently built house in the NE Atlanta suburbs and trying to learn as much as I can at the onset. One concern of mine, not sure how valid it is, is the lack of any tilling/topsoil added on top of the ugly clay fill dirt that was used in the backyard. Its the ugly stuff that couldn't support a structure and you'd slip & slide on when wet - even the sod would slide downhill when initially laid!. Anyhow, my landscaper did the final grade and never mentioned a need for any topsoil prior to sodding the TifTuf bermuda, and I'm seeing that in the low spots the grass is greener, soil is usually moist, and mushrooms pop up here and there after rains. In the higher spots it's the opposite, the lawn tends to dry up if in direct sun (clay soil getting hot??) and it needs watering to stay moist.
Is sodding over clay dirt par for the course in new-construction landscapes? I never paid attention before but I'm reading otherwise. Also, what/how do I amend this situation? I plan to aerate soon and was thinking that would be a good time to topdress w sand/compost (?), if needed.